A Shining Star Chapter One
by A Shining Star1
Summary: Claire Wilder was adopted by the Beldens when she was six months old. She never fit in with her peers. When she moves to New York City and meets Hunter she discovers the world she came from. A Shining Star is her journey to discovering her true self.


**Chapter One**

A slender woman leaned defensively against the kitchen counter. Strands of her cascading brown hair clung to her clammy forehead partially obscuring her agonized blue eyes. A man glared distastefully at her from across the room. At first glance, someone might identify him as a collected business man; his brown hair was carefully gelled back and he wore an ironed black suit. But as he approached the woman, his dark brown eyes glazed over with lust, replacing the rational accountant with a man who is clearly willing to do anything to obtain what he wants.

His lips twisted into a false smile. "Lucy, I have a lot of money I need to put into stocks. I was hoping you could tell me what companies have the most potential." He casually leaned against the counter only a few feet away from her, deliberately blocking her exit. Her grip tightened on the glassy granite surface, tensing in preparation for the inevitable flee.

"You know I don't have that type of ability, Richard" her voice bordering on hysteria, "I can only predict the vague order of events; no specific details or dates."

"Oh come on honey, I know you are capable of this. Just dig down deep. You know how much I am depending on you." He leaned forward struggling to maintain his act of benevolence.

Her whole body trembled, fully knowing the consequences of being unable to grant his demands.

"All you have to do is tell me what I want to know and we can get back to how things were before." His voice acquired a severe edge in reaction to her silence. "Look, we both know what happens to freaks like you. Your type wasn't meant to live in this world. If it wasn't for me pretending to be your husband and covering for you, the government would have located and killed you. If you refuse to return my favor by following my orders I have no choice but to turn you into the authorities."

She sprinted for the door, easily escaping the man's feeble attempt to stop her. A long string of curses, accompanied by the angry punching of numbers created her death toll. The man was the conductor.

She burst out onto the groomed lawn, welcoming the fresh summer air. Running to save the only part of her that mattered anymore, she headed for the trees. The man emerged from the house, furiously scanning his property for any traces of the fugitive, but she had already reached the cover of the foliage.

She picked up a trodden path. A trail she had walked religiously multiple times each day; anytime she could escape the man's vigilant watch. The track led to an opening in the forest where a small shack she had constructed from a brown tarp and planks she had stolen from a construction site once stood. She had known the man would turn her in but her ability was not strong enough to determine an exact date or reason. His betrayal would force her to part with the most important aspect of her life. She wanted to delay this painful separation as long as possible. Earlier that month, she dismantled the small hut until all that remained was the tarp in attempt to facilitate her necessary escape. Following her thoroughly considered plan, she tore down the tarp and gingerly scooped up a brown bundle of fabric lying underneath as she ran by. Police sirens reverberated through the forest and she instinctively clutched the bundle to her chest. Concentrating on her final purpose, she proceeded towards the hum of cars whizzing by on the road.

As she ran, images of her life with Richard flashed through her mind; the party they met at, his handsome appearance when he introduced himself and asked her to dance, their first kiss, the day she left without saying goodbye, his horrified expression when she returned and revealed her dark secret, his tense face when she explained her ability could help him, and his kind facade transforming into greed as the weeks passed by.

After a few minutes, the property she was searching for came into sight. The house's light yellow tint, blooming flower bushes, bright windows and groomed lawn exuded a secure and homey ambience. It was the type of home she had always wanted. However, her situation forced her to lead a nomadic lifestyle. Without hesitation, she deposited her bundle of fabric on the front step. Tears blurred her vision as she left their yard and ran towards the bridge ahead. She leaped out into the open air at the edge. Her body crumpled on the jagged rocks below. The gushing water immediately pulled her downstream; her body disappeared, consumed by a layer of frothing white. All her information, knowledge and experiences washed away by the raging river. In the last second of her life, her deep blue eyes had bored into the heavens above as if she was pleading for the fulfillment of a final wish.

On the front step of the yellow house, a stranger discovered a six month old baby wrapped in a brown bundle of fabric.


End file.
